Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Kate Douglas With Her New Series Debut, Dream Catcher!

Thanks to the amazing Ms. Jacquelyn Frank for turning me loose on her blog for a bit. I do appreciate the opportunity, and a thank you to her assistant, Natalie for keeping me organized! It’s been one of those truly weird months where I’ve literally lost track of what year it is. Those of you who write for a living—or have kids (or cats) of any age—will fully understand. Sometimes life just seems to get ahead of you, doesn’t it?

Part of my problem is that I am really connected to the characters in my new Aphrodisia series, Dream Catchers, which means I’m leaving the real world behind every time I log on to my computer and pull up the story. I didn’t think it would happen so quickly after Wolf Tales, but I guess I’m more fickle than I realized.

I really love these guys!

I wrote the introduction to the series, a novella called Dream Catcher, almost a year ago. It comes out next month in the NightShift anthology from Kensington Aphrodisia, and introduces the new series, called Dream Catchers, which is one of the most bizarre I’ve ever done.

And my poor husband was there when it happened.

Often, I haven’t got a clue what I’m going to write when I sit down at my computer, but this one jumped out and bit me on the butt when I wasn’t anywhere near my office! Doug and I were up in the Sierras, traveling back roads and such, and we stopped in the tiny community of Hat Creek and took a tour of the Allen Array. Now, this is just the coolest thing—like a huge science experiment on steroids.

The array is a collection of high tech satellite dishes marching across a big valley, all pointed at the heavens and recording radio signals from space. It’s part of the SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) project among others, but it’s much too involved for me to go into here—if you want to know more about the Allen Array, Wikipedia has a great article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Telescope_Array

There are now over 40 huge dishes—the ultimate goal is for 350—so completion is way off in the future, but so is the idea for my newest series, which has got more of a s/f twist than a lot of my work. The Dream Catcher novella actually takes place in the past, in the early 1990s when personal computers were just becoming popular. My hero is a young computer geek named MacArthur Dugan who literally meets the woman of his dreams.

Except Zianne is a lot more than fantasy. She owes her corporeal existence to fantasy—Mac’s, to be precise—and her story and the fate of her entire race of Nyrians will depend on the technological advances Mac can make over the next twenty years.

When I saw the huge dishes at the Allen Array, which are all receivers, the “what ifs” took control. I wondered what would it be like if you could send signals out as well. And what if the signals you were sending were sexual fantasies, and the energy in those fantasies could help bring a group of enslaved aliens to safety? (and yes, I really did get this idea while wandering through the array up at Hat Creek with my husband. And no, he didn’t bat an eye when I ran the idea by him...) And that, of course, led me to my first story and a young man at the dawn of today’s amazing technology. I decided that Mac would be the one to push science and computers to a point where he could build his own array and use those dishes to help save Zianne’s people.

But that, of course, is all in the future—in the book I’m writing now. The beginning of the story will be out in a few weeks, and I hope you’ll give it a shot. Dream Catcher is already leading me into story ideas that are so different from what I’ve done before, and yet in many ways the same. The novella will introduce you to MacArthur Dugan and his closest friend, Nils “Dink” Dinkemann. And you’ll meet Zianne, who is so much more than what she seems.

Mac and Dink have grown up together in the same foster home and are as close as brothers, though that’s not close enough for Dink. He’s gay and has always loved Mac, and while Mac loves Dink, he feels he can’t be the lover Dink needs and wants—Mac loves women way too much.

Zianne changes everything. She quickly becomes a lover and a friend, and she encourages Dink to join them when she and Mac make love. It’s something Mac and Dink hadn’t expected, and it’s a huge surprise to Mac to discover how much he loves having Dink in his bed. But it’s not all love and sex—Mac’s been falsely accused of dishonesty during the application for a grant to continue his graduate studies. His search for the truth lands all three of them in danger from a problem that’s much larger than just Mac’s application. And then there are the questions about Zianne, who is intelligent and beautiful—and obviously not quite human.Dream Catcher is pure fun with a couple of gorgeous guys, a mysterious woman from another world, some good action and even more really hot sex. And, if you don’t mind waiting for your prize, I will send the winner of this blog a copy of NightShift as soon as my copies arrive. Just leave a comment to be entered—say hi, tell me what you’re reading now, what your favorite genre is, whatever you like and your name will be automatically entered to win a copy of NightShift. Or, if you’d rather not wait, you can choose from either one of my Wolf Tales or DemonSlayers books—readers choice (anything from WTVII on/Sexy Beast VI on or any of the first three DemonSlayers).If you’d like to read the first chapter excerpt of Dream Catcher, you can find it in the “adults only” section of my website. http://www.katedouglas.com/eroticromance/id71.htm

This new series sounds very interesting! I am loving the Demon Slayers series. I just purchased Unmasked for my Kindle. I am currently reading The Bite Before Christmas by Heidi Betts. Good luck with the new series! :)

Hi all--just stopping in to check out who's been by, and then it's back to the story. When I'm at this point in a book I get a little nuts, and for some reason I'm REALLY nuts right now, so need to hit the computer and the story.

But, I just noticed that Jackie's concluding tale in her Nightwalkers series is almost out--and damn but I have been waiting for Adam's story. Do you guys have the same problem I do? So many books, so little time?

Sheesh! Thanks for stopping by, and I do appreciate all the kind words. There's nothing I love more than knowing my readers are enjoying my sexy flights of fancy!

I absolutely love paranormal and the sad thing is, a lot of pubs aren't even interested in it anymore. Luckily, Kensington still appears to be buying it. They've picked up my second generation Chanku series called Spirit Wild, which I'm really excited about writing, and of course the new Dream Catchers series.

Eling8, I just read a fantastic YA paranormal, TOUCH OF FROST by Jennifer Estep. REALLY a wonderful beginning to a new series.

So glad to hear about your new series. Being inspired by a visit to the Allen Array is pretty cool. Makes me think of the movie Contact with Jodi Foster. Ok, I admit it, I'm a sci-fi geek. I also love Star Trek & Stargate.

I've not read any of your Wolf Tales & it sounds like I should because I also love shapeshifter books, especially when there is a series. A series of 12 is very impressive. Which means that I've just ballooned my books to buy list by a whole bunch.

LOL...I hate to discourage you Kathryn, but there are actually 21 books in the Wolf Tales series, since all the novellas in the Sexy Beast Anthologies I-VIII are very much a part of the story. I wrote Wolf Tales/Sexy Beast like a soap opera for VERY open-minded adults--lots of sex, and if there's a boundary an author shouldn't cross, I leapt over it with great glee...you can find excerpts of all 21 stories on my website at www.katedouglas.com/eroticromance

I've always been a S/F geek--in fact, my first erotic series started with Lionheart at Ellora's Cave in 2001. The full series is available now as StarQuest 1 & 2 (five stories in all) and a final novella, ebook only, called Best Friends Forever, that sort of ties up the entire series.

LOL...does it help, Kathryn, if it's EROTIC s/f? My StarQuest series was my first shot at s/f and I had a blast with my sexy Miratan Lions--sexy, sentient beasts who walked upright and had interstellar travel. You can read excerpts on my website.

Hi Kate and Jaci, I love all the book that both of you have written. So far I've read everything Jaci has out currently and I am reading the Wolf Tales series now. Just finished reading WT-VI. My husband just loves it when I read these books....if you know what I mean!! LOL

Hi Kate and Jaci, I love all your books. I've read everything Jaci has written so far and I am currently reading the Wolf Tales series. I just finished Wolf Tales-VI tonight. My husband just loves when I read these books....if you know what I mean... LOL

Hi Kate,I was under the weather last week and I'm trying to catch up. I love paranormal romance but read almost anything. I just finished Golden Dancer by Tara Lain and was about to start the next novella in Wolf Tales (Sexy Beast V). I'm working my way through the whole series but get distracted by new releases like Adam. I'm caught up on your Demonslayer series and look forward to the next one. I'm looking forward to your new series.